Oakland Raiders: One Year Later, Grading The 2016 Draft Class

Nov 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders strong safety Karl Joseph (42) gestures toward the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Broncos in the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

A recap and review of the 2016 draft class of the Oakland Raiders, including grades for each pick.

The 2016 draft class of the Oakland Raiders had their moments during the season, both good and bad. There were a few rookies who stood out from the pack, just as there were others who clearly struggled in their first season.

Here’s a review of each player from the 2016 draft class, to go along with grades.

Karl Joseph

With the 14th overall pick in the first round, the Raiders selected safety Karl Joseph, Safety out of West Virginia. At the time, some viewed Joseph as a reach, mostly due to his senior season being cut short due to an ACL tear. So there were obvious concerns about the injury and his subsequent recovery.

Although Joseph was not fully ready to participate in OTA’s, he was 100 percent ready to go for training camp. The first-round pick impressed early on, with his interceptions in camp off of Derek Carr creating early optimism that he was going to provide a presence for the Raiders defense for years to come.

However, Jack Del Rio and/or Ken Norton Jr. opted not to start Joseph for the first two weeks of the season. But after the defense struggled mightily in the first two games, Joseph was thrown into the fire starting in Week 3.

In his first game, the West Virginia product led the team in total tackles, with 10. After surrendering 69 points in the first two weeks, the defense held Tennessee to just 10 points with Joseph plugged into the starting lineup.

Karl also made an impact in his second start, as he tied for second on the team in tackles, with 8.

For the season, in 10 games played, Joseph accumulated 60 total tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, and 6 passes defensed. Not the flashiest stat line, but there is one stat that was definitely eye-popping when measuring Joseph’s impact on Oakland’s defense.

Although Joseph’s injuries seemed to hinder his rookie campaign, he seems primed to have a breakout sophomore campaign with a fully healthy offseason under his belt.

Grade: B+

September 1, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Jihad Ward (95) during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Jihad Ward

It was clear that the Raiders were targeting their weaknesses early in the draft, when they selected back to back defensive players in the first two rounds. With the 44th pick, McKenzie grabbed defensive lineman Jihad Ward, out of Illinois.

The selection of Ward seemed to be a head-scratcher at the time, considering Ward was labeled as a “project” or as a player who was “raw” by numerous draft analysts. Which is not normally a time to select these types of players.

When Mario Edwards Jr. went down with an injured hip in the preseason, Ward was essentially thrown to the wolves, and had to learn on the fly. As a result, Ward struggled mightily, and was basically a non-factor for the entire season.

Jihad finished his rookie season with 30 total tackles and 1 fumble recovery. Not the ideal numbers or impact you’d expect out of your second round pick.

Ward clearly has a ton of work to do in order to prove that he is worth his draft slot. With Edwards Jr. coming back fully healthy next season, it’s safe to expect Ward to take a backseat, while he continues to work on his craft and improve his game.

Grade: D

 Shilique Calhoun

For the third consecutive round, the Raiders went defense, and drafted pass rusher Shilique Calhoun out of Michigan State with the 75th overall pick.

Calhoun seemed to be more of a polished prospect who fit the bill for McKenzie with his leadership experience and professionalism. He seemed to fit the new “Raider image” that the team was building.

Unfortunately, Shilique was somewhat of a disappointment in his rookie campaign. Although Calhoun only saw the field on rare occasions, he did not seem to offer a whole lot in those opportunities. He struggled to get off blocks, and did not make any splash plays.

An injury cut his season short, and Calhoun finished with a mere 10 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 1 pass defensed.

Grade: D+

Connor Cook

In the fourth round, Reggie McKenzie did something very rare. He traded up in the draft, and with the 100th pick, he selected quarterback Connor Cook out of Michigan State.

This was another pick that raised some eyebrows, because most thought the quarterback position was already decided with Derek Carr, and the backup position was set with Matt McGloin.

Cook was a healthy scratch for nearly the entire season, until he was thrust into action on relatively short notice.

In Week 16, Derek Carr went down with a broken fibula, and in came McGloin. But after an awful performance, as well as a bum shoulder, McGloin was pulled for fourth-round pick.

In Cook’s limited time in Week 17, he showed some poise against one of the best defenses in the league in the Denver Broncos. Cook finished 14 of 21 for 150 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He flashed on some nice throws, but also made several near-crucial mistakes.

With McGloin still ailing — and even if he were healthy, Cook surely would have started anyway — the Michigan State product made the first start of his NFL career. In the playoffs, on the road, against the number one defense in the league. He became the first player in NFL history to make his first ever start in a playoff game.

Against Houston, Cook looked like a lost puppy, finishing 18 of 45 for 141 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. And truthfully, the game looked even uglier than the stat line indicates.

To be fair, Cook deserves the benefit of the doubt in this situation. Against a tough defense with little preparation time, it was an uphill battle from the start.

I would expect Cook’s development to continue to progress, and for him to become a serviceable backup to Derek Carr.

Grade: N/A

Dec 24, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back DeAndre Washington (33) celebrates after scoring on a 22-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts during a NFL football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

DeAndre Washington

In the fifth round, the Raiders went running back, and drafted DeAndre Washington out of Texas Tech.

Washington was brought in to be a change of pace back to complement Latavius Murray. Although DeAndre started the season as the backup to Murray, he was eventually leap-frogged by fellow rookie undrafted free agent Jalen Richard. Washington was listed as a healthy scratch for two games out of the season.

But to his credit, Washington was ready when called upon. Late in the season, Washington had the freshest legs out of all the running backs, and his workload was increased down the stretch.

In Week 16 against the Colts, Washington had a career day. He carried the ball 12 times for 99 yards, and picked up the first two touchdowns of his young career.

For the season, he finished with 87 carries for 467 yards, good for a 5.4 yards per carry average, 2 touchdowns, and he also hauled in 17 receptions for 115 yards.

Washington proved that he should never be a healthy scratch for any game moving forward. His game-changing speed and receiving abilities are something that will be needed in 2017 and beyond.

Grade: B

Cory James

With the 194th overall pick, the Raiders would select linebacker Cory James, linebacker out of Colorado.

A relatively unknown name, the plan for James was to be used as a backup to Ben Heeney, and was going to find the bulk of his work as a special teams player.

After poor play from Heeney and a subsequent injury to end his season, James was plugged into the starting lineup. He provided an instant spark on defense in his first career start against the Baltimore Ravens, leading the time with an impressive 15 tackles.

However, James’ production would tail off after a few solid games. The Raiders brought in Perry Riley Jr. to play on the insider, and he would take over as the full-time starter for the rest of the year. James went back to his original role as a special teamer, and only came in for defensive series’ for substitution purposes.

On the season, James finished with 48 total tackles and 1 forced fumble.

James showed he could at least become someone who can be a serviceable backup, and based on his first few games, a quality starter. Another offseason under his belt will only help his cause.

Grade: C+

 Vadal Alexander

With the last selection for the Raiders, with the 234th pick, they selected offensive lineman Vadal Alexander out of LSU.

Usually seventh round draft picks are not supposed to be exciting — especially offensive lineman. But in this case, McKenzie may have found himself another late-round gem.

Although Alexander was primarily a backup, mostly due to the Raiders having arguably a top-two offensive line, whenever he was called upon, he filled in admirably.

This is most notably true in the Thursday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Alexander filled in for All-Pro Kelechi Osemele, who missed the game. Vadal was fantastic against a tough defense, as he did not allow a single pressure and helped pave the way for an effective ground game that rushed over 130 total yards.

Whether Alexander is used as a depth piece to backup Gabe Jackson or Osemele, or whether he eventually becomes a starter, Alexander proved something his rookie season, and seems to be a player who can be a part of the Raiders’ plans moving forward.

Grade: B-

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